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Farm software continues to evolve

What’s new from the shows: Companies in the business of agricultural software and related products continue adding new features.

By Farm Progress staff

You won’t find even three dozen companies offering farm software or computer-related products at farm shows these days. The market has settled out into the companies that have proved their value with customers. And the companies you do find at shows now typically have new options or advanced products almost every time you visit. Grain prices may be less than ideal, but technology marches forward at most of these companies.

IntelliFarms offers a relatively new concept that allows you to track farm goals on the computer. It’s tied to record-keeping but goes a step further than most traditional record-keeping systems.

One of the exciting announcements for users of Soil Test Pro and for those who use the John Deere Operations Center system is that Soil Test Pro data can now migrate into the Deere system, thanks to an agreement between the companies. Soil Test Pro representatives believe that will allow many more customers to make better use of the information they provide, which will help build a more efficient soil testing program — and ultimately, a more efficient fertilization strategy.

If you are still looking to improve your guidance system or get more accuracy in guidance at a reasonable cost, Raven Industries introduces two products that might be just what you’re looking for. One uses the Slingshot system, which is not new but is used in a more productive way.

You may also want to check out Sigfox, a low-power, wide-area internet service. While it’s been common in Europe for a while, it’s just now coming to the U.S. The goal, officials say, is to set up a network that can transmit data wirelessly from things like weather stations, which only need to report data at infrequent intervals. The idea is that by using a low-power system, this data can be transmitted at lower cost compared to having access to a wireless system such as one needed to power a laptop computer. Look for more information on this system as the company expand its presence in the U.S.